Overview

• Vancouver Island Whale Watch first spotted the entangled humpback near Lasqueti Island on Sept. 21 and stayed with it while alerting federal responders.
• DFO crews attached a satellite tag to the trailing gear to track the whale’s movements until a safe disentanglement could be attempted in Nanoose Bay.
• Marine mammal response teams removed more than 450 feet (137 metres) of rope and fishing gear in a multi-hour operation supported by a Department of National Defence helicopter.
• Reports describe the rescue lasting six to seven hours, with crews methodically cutting lines until the whale, identified as Fader (BCY0195), was freed.
• DFO later confirmed Fader was re-sighted gear-free in the Salish Sea and urged the public to report distressed whales and lost gear and to cut looped materials before disposal.